Chapter 156: An Opportunity for You to Vent, Miss Su Lin - It’s the Cyber Age—Still Playing a Traditional Villain?

Chapter 156: An Opportunity for You to Vent, Miss Su Lin Apologies for yesterday—I went out drinking with friends... it's been too long since I've had a heavy drink. I slept from around six or seven in the morning until after ten at night (about ten in the morning in China). I only just got up and now my schedule is all flipped. As a result, I totally forgot to write a leave note... I was so out of it I didn't remember. My head is still aching, sorry, sorry. I'll make up what I owe from yesterday in the next couple of days; give me a moment to catch up today. Also, thanks to everyone in the chat for your concern. It's comforting to know that if I go missing, someone will notice. But your concern is a bit odd; why is everyone asking if my butt's okay? It's still hanging up on a tree... ---- The word to describe Su Lin's current state of mind: frustration. She feels a bit clueless for realizing things so late. If only she had clarified things with the young master sooner, perhaps the situation wouldn’t have escalated this way. When Xu Shi decided to invite Gu Yi to stay at his place, she didn't think much of it at first. But the moment she started feeling uneasy, it was already too late to intervene with Xia Wu You and the others stopping her. The worst part is, even though she's aware, she still finds it difficult to speak up. Or is it anxiety? She's done fooling herself; it truly is due to things from when she was young, coupled with the changes in Xu Shi, stirring up feelings that mix gratitude with loyalty, morphing into something else. But what about the young master? If she doesn't speak up, fine, but if she does and he's not on the same page, how on earth will they coexist afterwards? Unlike Gu Yi or Xia Wu You, she can't just lay her cards on the table without consequence. Essentially, there's a huge difference between her and them. Therefore, she can only stew in her anger, getting caught up in a mental cycle... What else can she do? Just pretend everything is normal for now. Focus on preparing dinner for tonight. Xu Shi seems to sense Chief Su's vexation, and the once noisy living room goes silent—Gu Yi and Xia Ke An freeze mid-hair pull, while Xia Wu You tactfully takes the embarrassing aunt away. They know where they stand; they're effectively under someone else's roof, right? Xu Shi might not care, but completely ignoring Su Lin would surely be considered bad manners. Ironically, without understanding the whole story, they've come to an unspoken consensus... This woman must be Xu Shi's first; in old terms, she's the so-called main wife, deserving of necessary respect. "Do you need help with anything?" Xia Wu You tentatively offered. "No, I can handle it alone." Su Lin shook her head, her tone colder than before. She has picked up on their cautiousness, which should have been gratifying... but reality isn’t as pleasant. How others perceive her is one thing, but what the truth is resides only in Su Lin's heart. Others think she's the first, but that's far from the reality. Having respect based on false presumptions leaves her unsure whether to be upset or amused. Nevertheless, her authoritative presence has proven effective, as Gu Yi and the others quickly sit down, behaving like well-mannered young ladies at a bourgeois afternoon tea. In the meantime, where's Xu Shi? He's in the corner enjoying the spectacle. Dinner is a feast of sour and spicy flavors, so sour it makes your teeth ache, and so spicy it's impossible to sit still. ... The odd atmosphere of peace persisted into the night. After the day's events, Miss Black Bunny found herself restless, unable to find joy even in her usually beloved games. Well, of course—suddenly having a competitor, who could sleep soundly? In her perspective, Sister Su Lin warrants respect, but Xia Wu You is a different story; she's only been around a few days. Would it kill her to queue up properly? And that little white-haired thing, they say she's actually an old aunt... What if she is? She's a complete immature brat! Pulling hair over fighting? Imagining living under the same roof with these two makes her literally roll her eyes. Moreover... there’s the unresolved matter with Xu Shi from earlier today! After being apart for so long, she’s not about to let him off the hook; she needs to punish, no, pamper him to her satisfaction! Otherwise, her lonely wait would have been in vain. Settling her intentions, she quietly got out of bed, grabbing a few adorable outfits she’d bought earlier, and set out stealthily amidst the night to chat with Xu Shi. It’s said that these are styles from long ago for female students? Something about J-whatever K-whatever, which most boys can't resist... Alongside, she magically ended up buying a few different chokers, some with little bells attached. Surely, Xu Shi would like them, right? But. When she carefully approached Xu Shi's room, she saw another sneaky figure had already beaten her to it. "...You?" Gu Yi and Xia Wu You pointed at each other simultaneously, their expressions growing peculiar. "I’m here to discuss some work with Xu Shi." Xia Wu You was the first to regain her composure, saying earnestly. "What a coincidence, me too, Miss Xia." Gu Yi quickly nodded, their faces displaying a polite yet tense smile. Who are you trying to fool? Is there anyone who brings that kind of, err, intimate attire to report on work? What kind of report are you conducting? Are you about to receive some sort of... corporate spirit briefing from the chairman? Where are you going with this? Gu Yi glared back defiantly, and your robe—was that your idea of professional attire? A robe with just a sash... you even snipped off the buttons! Was that an emergency plan because you didn't have time to shop? How resourceful of you! Ironically, in some ways, these two seemed remarkably synchronized, with even a brewing urge to give each other a nod of approval. "In my opinion, what I need to report is more critical than anything you have, Miss Xia." Miss Black Bunny quashed these strange thoughts, looking at Xia Wu You mockingly as she whispered, "How about you go back and wait? Some things are of higher priority." "Oh, we can’t be sure about that." Xia Wu You parried, "Why don’t you wait, Miss Gu?" "...Haha, then why don't we just go together?" Gu Yi pursed her lips, deliberated for a moment, then took a step back. Continuing on like this was pointless; why waste the beautiful night standing in the hallway? No, if they kept this up her midnight venture would be meaningless... but there seemed to be no other options. They couldn't just call it quits now, right? "G-go together?" Xia Wu You twitched, not expecting such bold words from the petite girl before her. How could she say that... The truth is, Xu Shi once jokingly mentioned something similar, yet she still finds it utterly embarrassing and unacceptable. "Scared? Then you can go back first." Black Bunny Miss, having pushed the envelope, defiantly lifted her chin and challenged, wishing for Xia Wu to retreat. "F-fine! Together then." Xia Wu You gritted her teeth and braced herself. Backing down now would only bring greater losses in the future! Moreover, from a certain perspective, isn't it better to get used to this now if it's bound to happen again? With a determined attitude akin to going on field operations—no backing down! Together, they nodded tacitly and crept open the bedroom door. And then. The most awkward scenario unfolded. Xu Shi wasn't there. Where had he disappeared to? We’re here in your room, where on earth are you? ... Xu Shi had fled. While the two girls were caught in a staring contest at his door, he had already whisked Su Lin away, speeding down the highway at 180 mph. He was even driving personally. "This doesn’t seem like you." In the passenger seat, Su Lin, unused to this, remarked. Normally, she drove when they were together... though it didn't stop her from teasing, "Spending the night speeding rather than enjoying other activities?" "Doesn't it?" With one hand on the wheel, Xu Shi looked at her with a smile, "Don't I recall you covering for me with dad in the past because of this?" "Back then the house was empty." Su Lin pouted, deliberately averting her gaze, "And you’re leaving them behind without a second thought? Someone might get upset." "Whether others are upset is one thing, but seeing you unhappy, I'm certain of that." Xu Shi's grin widened, "Think of it this way: I'm choosing to spend this night out with you." "I’m not upset, young master, you're overthinking," Su Lin said, although her expression basically broadcasted otherwise. That said, she was easy to appease. When she realized there was truth in Xu Shi’s words, her heart lightened a bit. "Alright, alright, let’s just say I was being overly suspicious." Xu Shi shrugged with a playful look, knowing full well what she was thinking... but he had no intention of spelling it out. If you deny it, I’ll just pretend I don’t know. There's a certain mischievous delight in teasing her that was evident at that moment. The same kind of playful ambiguity applied to Gu Yi and Xia Wu You—he suspected that at least one might sneak into his room by midnight. Maybe they’d even come to a consensus and visit together, though the odds of all three doing so was slim... Let them sort it out among themselves first; otherwise, he’d end up dealing with quite the headache. But he wasn’t just running away; there was a more pressing matter that needed addressing sooner than later. "Regardless of whether you're happy or not, Su Lin, you'll have a chance to let off some steam soon." As he spoke, the car began to slow down. Su Lin looked up and realized they had left Night City and entered Sin City territory. And from the looks of it... heading towards District Six? "Are you planning to visit Miss Lin Yue, young master?" she suddenly realized. "Visit is not the right word," Xu Shi replied, shaking his head. "I’m here to teach her a lesson." "Just the two of us?" Her caretaker instincts kicked in, "You haven't contacted an ops team?" She was well aware of Lin Yue's recent developments. The entire sixth district was under her control now… even if it was all engineered by Xu Shi, precautions were still a must. Especially since Xu Shi isn’t exactly combat-oriented... "Two might be a little thin..." Xu Shi seemed unfazed, "But three should suffice, right?" ... Sin City, District Six. After a long day, Lin Yue dragged her weary self home. Becoming a district leader was unlike anything she’d known; primarily, it's exhausting... even having driven out Ding Jun's forces, stabilizing the sixth district still left a plethora of tasks. It was fortunate she didn’t have to manage parts of the tenth district too, or the situation would’ve been even more chaotic. Luckily, she wasn’t alone—her sister was there to help. The duo had clearly delineated roles: Lin Xing made decisions, and Lin Yue carried them out. They complemented each other well, though she occasionally felt foolish compared to her sister... Oh well. Lin Yue chuckled wryly to herself. Once the sixth district was fully integrated, she moved into what had been Zhang Shi Jun’s residence, making a few adjustments to suit her needs. However, as she neared the house, she felt something was off—there were clinking noises, and the guards around were slumped all over the ground. "What’s happening?" On high alert, Lin Yue quickly assessed the situation. "...Leader Yue, we’re under attack!" A struggling "Spark" member croaked, "Their power is too overwhelming, our guys couldn’t withstand… they breached the house..." "Do you know who they are?" "Unfamiliar... but… it was only a man and a woman." A man and a woman? Lin Yue felt a chill. There weren’t any factions in Sin City fitting that description… But soon, a possibility rushed into her mind, bringing a deluge of past memories. Could it be... Her fists clenched instinctively, and her whole body began to tremble. It was the scenario she dreaded the most. However, she pulled herself together promptly—her sister was inside! Alone, Lin Xing couldn't stand a chance against Xu Shi, that demon! Resolving herself, she signaled her subordinates to stay put, then used her ability to silently sneak inside. Upon entering, the scene before her stole her breath. As expected, it was Xu Shi, with Su Lin by his side... Right there, he nonchalantly sat at the center of the hall, with Su Lin standing stone-faced behind him and the scattered guards splayed on the floor. Lin Xing was already in his clutches—Xu Shi was pressing a gun to her temple, while forcibly prying her mouth open with his thumb, holding her in a half-kneeling posture that reeked of humiliation. Lin Xing’s involuntary whimpers added an unsettling, bitter atmosphere to the scene. Bastard! Seeing her treasured sister treated so, a blazing fury ignited in Lin Yue's eyes. Her right hand unconsciously reached for the dagger strapped to her leg, ready to fight to the death. “Miss Lin Yue has come back?” Yet Xu Shi spoke as if he’d anticipated her return, smiling in her direction, “Your little tricks can’t fool me... I’ll count to three, and if you don’t show yourself, I’ll blow her head off.” “One...” “...Let her go!” Understanding there was no escape, Lin Yue gritted her teeth and willingly dropped her invisibility. (End of Chapter)